`Anguished` Congress to skip Venkaiah Naidu`s breakfast party

Aug 10, 2018

NEW DELHI: The last day of the ongoing Monsoon Session of Parliament is expected to be a fiery one with the Congress deciding to skip the breakfast party to be hosted by Vice President and Rajya Sabha chairman Venkaiah Nadu on Friday.

The Congress leaders are reportedly miffed over not being consulted by the Narendra Modi government before it pushed the key legislations in Parliament. The top leadership of the party alleged that three key bills were passed amid pandemonium in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.

The Rahul Gandhi-led party is also reportedly upset over not being allowed to raise the issue of Rafale fighter jet deal in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday despite their support to the government in passing the law restoring the powers of the police to make arrests on complaints received under the Dalit atrocities law.

They also accused Rajya Sabha chairperson of being partial while conducting the House.

Naidu will host the breakfast party at 9.30 am in the honour of the newly-elected deputy chairperson of the Rajya Sabha, Harivansh Singh, who is a lawmaker from the Janata Dal-United (JDU).

Harivansh had defeated the Congress nominee, BK Hariprasad during voting in Rajya Sabha on Thursday.

Singh, a National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate was declared the winner with 125 votes in his favour against the 105 cast in favour of the joint Opposition candidate BK Hariprasad.

The election for Rajya Sabha deputy chairman was necessitated following the retirement of Congress leader PJ Kurien in June.

Meanwhile, the government is also expected to introduce the Triple Talaq bill in Parliament on the last day of the ongoing Monsoon Session on Friday. The Union Cabinet has made changes in the proposed bill conceding to opposition demands on registering complaints and on provision for arrest.

The Congress, however, has objected to such important legislations being introduced on the last day.